Horn-controlling mechanism for metallic fastening-machines.



M. D. PHELAN. I HORN CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR METALLIC FASTENING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1907.

1,104,130. Patented July21, 1914.

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M.- D.- PHELAN. HORN CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR METALLIC FASTENING MACHINES.

' APPLIQATIONPILED JAN. 21, 1907.

1,104,130, Patented July 21, 1914;

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HORN CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR METALLIC FASTENING MACHINES. APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 21, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT o EIoE.

MEBTON ID. PHELAN, 0E. BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSTGNOR, EY'MES'NE ASSIGN- MEN'IS, 'ro UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF rA'rnEsoN, NEW JERSEY, A

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

HORN-CONTROLLING- IVIECHANISM FOR METALLIC FASTENIN(fr-MACHI1\TES..'v

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented July 21, 1914..

Application filed January 21, 1907. Serial No. 353,211.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MEnroN D. PHELAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Horn-Controlling Mechanism for Metallic Fastening-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts. 7

In the manufacture of boots and shoes it is customary to employ in some of the steps of the manufacture, machines for inserting metallic fasteners, such, for example, as for nailing the heel seats, slugging the heels, etc. WVhen operated upon by these machines, the shoe or work is supported upon a work support or horn, means being provided for lift ing the work support to raise the work to working position and also for periodically depressing the work support after the driving of each fastener, to free the work sufliciently to permit it to be readily fed along into position to receive the next succeeding fastener, the support being then again lifted to position the work to receive such new fas- V tener.

My invention relates particularly to the horn controlling and depressing mechanism for a machine of this type, or for any other machine where the same requirements or any of them, are present.

To enable my invention to be understood I will disclose the same in connection with one embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings.

Referring to said drawings, Figure 1, in

side elevation, shows a machine illustrating the selected embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional detail ofrthe lower end of the horn; Fig. 3, a cross sectional detail of a locking and unlocking device to be described; Fig. 1, an enlarged detail to showthe horn controlling mechanism proper;-Fig. 5, a horizontal section on the irregular dotted line 5-5, Fig. 4; Fig. 6, a detail of an eccentric bearing to be ,described; and, Fig. 7', a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts differently positioned.

In the particular embodiment of my invention selected for present illustration and shown in the drawings, referring first to Fig. 1, the machine typifies any matypifies one of the forms of the well-known loose nailer that is to say, a machine for driving loose nails or tacks and for feeding thejwork step by step following the driving of the several nails or tacks. Machines of this type are largely used in the manufacture of boots and shoes for the nailing of heel seats and the like.

The machine proper, above referred to, is Shown mounted upon a suitable column 1, provided at its front, at the left, Fig. 1, with a horn support 2. This horn support receives the vertically movable horn 3, adapted at its upper end to serve as a support for the shoe or work into or upon which the fasteners are to be driven. The depending stem 1 of this horn, which slides freely in the horn support (see Fig. 2),is counterbored at its lower end to receive the nut 6, firmly but removably secured therein. This nut receives the threaded measuring screw 7, the upper end of which is guided within the said horn by a sleeve 8 placed thereon. Between the upper end of this sleeved end of the screw and the end of the bore in the horn is inserted a spring 9, which tends constantly to lift the horn relative to the screw. The measuring screw, at its lower end, is provided with an enlarged cylindrical head 10, upon which and between lips or flanges thereof is loosely mounted a block 11, provided at its front sidev (at the left, Figs. 1 and 1) with antifriction rollers or devices 12, adapted to supportthe said block laterally from a suitable bearing surface 13 in the column 1 or a part thereof. Jointed to the said block 11 is one member 1 1 of a toggle, the other member 15 of which is jointed at its lower end to a vertical rod 16, mounted to slide in a lug 17 on the column. At its lower end said slide rod 16 is providedwith an extension 18, in turn connected by a right and left coupling 19that permits convenient removal vof the partsto a depressing rod 20, which latter is surrounded by a spring 21 seated at its upper end against an adjustable collar 29. on said rod 20 and at its lower end upon a lug 23 on the column. This spring nuts 28,, upon the stem of said pawl, A trans-' tends constantly to lift the rod 20, its connected slide rod 16 and the toggle members, its lifting movement being limited by an adjustable collar 24 on the lower end of said slide rod 16 and which is adapted to contact with the under side of said lug 17. A leather or other cushion face may be provided upon said stop collar 24: to avoid shock. The lower end of the measuring screw head 10 is provided with a circular series of ratchet teeth 25 and, opposite thereto, the adjacent toggle link 14: is provided with a ratchet toothed pawl 26, the stem of which slides freely in the said link under the control of a spring 27, whichtends constantly to press it outward into a position limited by the stop verse pin 29, working in grooves in the sides of the pawl recess, restrains the pawl from rotative movement while permitting free sliding movement.

When the toggle is straightened, its lower end being seated upon the spring supported slide rod 16, causes its upper end to lift the block 11, to cause the latter similarly to lift the measuring screw 7 and, through its spring 9, alsolift the horn 3 and the work thereon to bring the latter against the work plate or presser 30 of the machine. All the parts, including the work, are lifted as a unit by reason of the friction between the parts untilthe work on the horn encounters resistance as, for example, by meeting the opposed work plate. Further upward movement of the horn being then resisted, the continued lift of the toggle block 11 and the screw, will cause the latter to be turned in and by the now stationary or retarded nut, the screw head likewise turning in the block 11. This turning of the screw continues during the further upward movement of the toggle block until the toggle has been so far straightened as to bring the pawl 26 into engagement with the ratchet teeth 25 on the screw head. This locks the screw head and screw against further rotation so that any further straightening of the toggle will act in an opposite direction to compress the spring 21. By this means, when the work on the horn meets the work plate, all further toggle movement is thrown away or becomes ineffective until a given point in the toggle movement has been reached, to wit, when the pawl engages its ratchet nut, after which the subsequent toggle movement acts to compress the spring and this compression is always uniform because the, toggle movement, subsequent to the locking of the ratchet nut, is always uniform, irrespective of the thickness of the work. By this means a proper adjustment of the parts will permit work of varying. thicknesses to be placed upon the work support and pressed with furnish the requisite and uniform yielding support for the work while the fasteners are being driven. For the purpose of straightening the toggle thus to lift the work to position, and, also for the purpose of placing the work under proper spring support to resist the driving impact of the machine, I have provided the following mechanism. The toggle link 15 has jointed to it at 31 one end of an actuating rod 32, which extends to the right (Fig. 4) and has its rear end threaded at 83 to receive a nut 84. This nut (see Fig. 3) is flanged at both ends and receives upon it, between said end flanges, a sliding sleeve 35. The front end of this sleeve and the adjacent face of the front flange of the nut are serrated, roughened or otherwise constructed as at 36, to restrain rotation of the one relative to the other when they are in contact. The said sliding sleeve 35 (see Figs. 3 and 1-) is further provided with opposite recesses for the trunnion pins 37, carried by and at the forked upper end of the treadle arm 38, fulcrumed at 39 in the base of the column and provided with the forwardly extending horn treadle 40. 0b viously, if this horn treadle be depressed it will cause its upright arm 38 to swing forward, to carry the sleeve 35 and its nut 34 with it. Since contact of the serrated leading end of the sleeve with its opposed nut flange r'estrains rotation of the nut during this forward movement, it follows that the nut will carry the screw 33 and its actuator 32 forward with it, thereby straightening the toggle to lift the horn as described.

In the use of machines of this type it is common, when once the horn and work are raised by the foot treadle, to drive a series of fasteners in rapid succession without again lowering the horn by the treadle, for

example, as when driving the nails around a a heel seat or when driving a row of slugs around or at one side of a heel. Frequently,

however, it is desired to drive nails or fas i teners singly but in rapid succession, as, for instance, for the driving of three slugs in the a top of a heel, one at each breast corner and 1 the third at the middle and back of the top. In such cases the spacing between the suc cessively driven slugs is so much greater than the capacity of the machine itself to feed from one slug to another, that it .becomes necessary to drop the horn by the foot treadle, shift the work thereon and again lift the horn to bring the work up into its new position for the new fastener. If the work of lifting the horn and compressing the spring 21 be thrown entirely upon the foot treadle, the eflort required to depress said treadle becomes such that it is impossible i to depress it with suflicient rapidity and ease 3 to permit this separated driving of fasteners rapidly and economically.

uniform pressure against the work plate, to

The first part of the lifting of the horn and work may be conveniently and quickly done by the foot treadle because it involves little pressure upon the treadle, but the final straightening of the toggle necessary to compress the stiff spring 21 is what would retard the treadle movement if the entire work was imposed thereon, and this even though such final movement be slight. Because of this, my invention comp-rehends means for utilizing other power, for example, the power of the machine, to furnish this final spring compressing straightening of the toggle. To this end (see Fig. 4) I have provided the actuator rod 32 with a fixed collar or lug 41, below which stands the free end of a pusher 42, pivotally mounted upon the upright arm 43 of a bell crank lever fulcriuned at 44. This pusher is normally held in its elevated position by a spring 45, con neoting it with the treadle arm 38. The spring actuated elevation of the said pusher is controlled and limited by a roller stud 46, overlying said pusher and carried at the free end of a lever 47 pivoted at 48' on the column, and having its angularly extended slotted end engaged by a stud 49, also mounted on the upright treadle arm 38. When the treadle arm is thrownforward to move the actuator to straighten the toggle, its first movement causes the stud 49, acting in the slotted arm of the lever 47, to swing the upper end of said lever to the right, thereby permitting the pusher spring to lift the pusher so that its free end will assume a position behind the collar 41 on the actuator rod 32, which has been pushed forward by the same movement of said treadle arm. This not only prevents any retrogression of the said actuator rod but also places the pusher in position where it may be utilized to furnish a further forward pushing movement of the actuator rod by a mechanism to be described. The pusher by the 'foottreadle and the machine started,

the first movement of the machine causes the roll carrying lever 54 to be thrown forward thereby, through the connections described, lifting the rod 50 and correspondingly throwing forward or to the left (Fig. 4) the upright arm of the bell crank 43, to throw the pusher 42 forward and thereby apply entire power of the machine, through said pusher, to push the actuator rod 32 also forward, finally to straighten the toggle and The upright arm of this bell crank place the spring 21 under pressure, all without efiort onthe part ofthe operative.

Because the compression of the spring 21, the principal work involved in positioning the shoe or horn for operation of the nailing mechanism, is performed by the power of the machine itself, the treadle movement for preliminarily lifting the work or horn requires, as stated, little eifort and, therefore, may be'made very'short and capable of being quickly and conveniently performed. Depression of the treadle and consequent forward movement of its upright arm 38 (see Fig. 4) is limited by an adjustable stop 57, return movement of the said treadle be ing limited by a back stop 58.

It is desirable to be able to start the machine by the same movement of the foot that .is employed to raise the work into position and during the latter part of such treadle movement of the foot. It 1s not deslrable, however, to connect the horn raising mechanism with the starting and stopping mechanism, nor vice versa, so as to cause always a movement of one by and upon movement of the other, because it is frequently desirable to operate the two mechanisms inde pendently, in whole or in part. To meet this situation, I have provided a starting and stopping treadle 59 (see Fig. 5) which may be placed close beside the horn treadle 40 and fulcrumed upon the same shaft 39, so that the operators foot may when desired overlie both treadles and depress the two simultaneously and by one depression of the foot when it is desired. that the starting of the machine shall follow immediately the raising of the worln Obviously, however, either of the treadles may be independently depressed or, after having been depressed, may be independently released, according to the necessities of the case at any particular time. The starting and stopping treadle which, for convenience, may be hereinafter referred to merely as the starting treadle, may be connected, as by the lift rod 60, with any suitable ordesired starting and stopping device or clutch typified at 61 (Fig. 1.) adapted to connect the main shaft when desired, for instance, with a constantly driven belt pulley 62. The particular construction and arrangement of this starting and stopping mechanism does not concern my present invention other than as set forth in the appended claims. This starting and stopping mechanism may, as is customary in machmes of this type, be provided with suitable. brake I means, typified at 68, said brake means being released when the machine is started and applied when the machine is stopped. All

this-will be well understood by those skilled in the art and requires no further detailed explanatlon herein because the particular construction and modeof operation of the same does not concern my present invention other than is generally involved in the appended claims.

It is common in machines of this general type to construct the starting and stopping means in such manner that when once the machine is set in motion it cannot be stopped until a complete turn of the main shaft has occurred to produce substantially one complete cycle of operation of the machine. This is because the machines are operated at high speed, and is to guard against the stopping of the machine when a fastener is but partially driven. By compelling always a full rotation of the main shaft when once such rotation has begun it is always certain that the fastener in. process of making or of being driven will be completely driven before the machine is stopped. It is likewise important that the horn, if its treadle be released simultaneously with the release of the starting treadle, be also restrained from immediate drop, otherwise if the release be effected early in the last desired ro tation of the machine shaft, the horn might drop from position before the last fastener had been driven, leaving the latter but partially driven into the work. Because of this, machines have been constructed wherein the work support or its controlling mechanism has been so connected to or interlocked with the starting and stopping mechanism that the one controls the other; in other words, the work support will not be dropped from position to free the work until the starting and stopping mechanism has been released, following the driving of the last nail, This, of course, insures the proper support of the work until the last nail has been driven, but it is open to objection in that when once the work has been raised into position and the machine started it is impossible to de press the work support by the same treadle that was employed for raising it. A second side treadle has been provided for emergency release of the work but, because separate and distinct from the treadle employed for initial raising of the work and starting of the machine, it has not been so conven iently positioned as desirable. My present invention aims to meet this situation by maintaining the horn depression quite sepa rate and distinct from the starting and stopping mechanism, so that it is in no sense control led by the latter, yet, when once the horn has been raised, its depression isonly had after a sufficient delay to insure the driving of the fastener in process of making or driving when the treadle is released. To this end (see Fig. 4-) the actuator rod screw is provided with a rearward extension notched at 6% (Fig. 7) for engagement by an overhanging latch 65. When the said actuator rod has been finally pushed forward by the starting of the machine, to compress the spring 21, this notch is brought into position beneath the latch 65, which drops thereinto (as in Fig. 7) and holds the said actuator rod in position with the toggle straightened, the work support elevated and the spring 21 compressed. The length of the nut 34; between its end flanges exceeds considerably the length of the sliding sleeve 35 that surrounds said nut and, after the nut and its actuator have been pushed forward, preliminarily to straighten the toggle, by depression of the horn treadle 40, the actuator is engaged by the pusher 42 upon the starting of the machine and is further pushed forward, the nut 34 being carried forward with it until its rearmost flange is arrested by contact with the sleeve 85, any further forward movement of the actuator rod and its screw causing the said nut to turn to permit it, such turning movement being unrestrained because of the absence of any restraining engagement between said rearmost nut flange and the rear end of said sleeve. lin fact, I prefer to arrange an anti-friction surface, as the balls 35* on the nut (Fig. 3), to readily permit such rotation. The treadle arm 38 carries immediately above the said sleeve 35 a roller 66, adapted when said arm is in its rearmost position to act upon and elevate the said latch 65, but when the said arm is thrown forward to straighten the toggle preliminarily, said latch is permitted to drop upon the rod extension so as to be free to drop into the notch ea referred to when the lat ter reaches a position beneath it.

Assuming the machine to be in operation, with the toggle fully straightened, the horn spring 21 compressed and the actuator rod locked by the latch 65, all as indicated in Fig. '7, if the operative removes his foot to release the two treadles the starting treadle is restrained from immediate response, in usual manner as stated, unless and until the main shaft has completed its rotation in progress, when it is free to move to stop the machine. The horn treadle 40, however, freed at the same instant, is thrown rearward by a spring to be described, carrying before it the flanged nut 34. The screw 33, however, is held by the latch locked in its forward position, consequently the nut, impelled by the retraction of the horn treadle, can only move rearward as fast as it will turn on its screw and, since this turning of the nut offers considerable frictional resistance largely by reason of the friction between the thread of the screw and the nut thread, one upon the other, such retraction of the treadle is retarded or delayed sufficiently to insure the driving of the last fastener. l l hen, however, in this retarded or lagging movement of the treadle the roller 66 reaches and lifts the latch 65 the screw 33 is released and is permitted to fall freely 'mit of the release of the actuator rod.

and bodily rearward, under the action of the treadle movement, to collapse the toggle and free the work. To permit this free movement of the screw, the nut slides bodily through the sleeve until the serrated nut flange 36 is arrested by contact with the corresponding face of said sleeve. hen the actuator rod and its screw were pushed into position beyond that into which they had been moved the treadle arm 38, the nut 34- was carried along with them and, as stated, the serrated flange 36 was thereby carried beyond and away from the serrated end of the sleeve 35, now held stationary by 7 contact of said treadle arm with the forward stop 57. In practice, however, the movement required to be given to the'actuator red by the pusher to put the spring 21 under compression is so little that the period of retardation required to take up such motion on release of the horn treadle would not always be suflicient to catch the last nail driven by the machine. Consequently it is desirable to move the nut 34: beyond what it would be moved by the actuator bar,'

so as to obtain a longer return thereof and a correspondingly longer period of retardation before said nut, on its return, will per- T accomplish this, the length of the nut 34 ceeds the length of the sleeve 35 by nearly twice the length ofmovement of the actuator red by the pusher 4:2. The upright arm of the bell crank 43 is carried above the pivotal point of the pusher 42 and, at a point immediately behind the nut 34, said arm is forked to straddle the actuator rod 32. When now the machine swings the bell crank lever L3 to cause'its pusher 42 to augment the movement/of the actuator. rod beyond what it was moved by the treadle arm 38, the said forked arm of the lever, advancing more rapidly than does the pusher because of its greater radius of action, meets the nut 34.- at about the time that the pusher L2 begins to push the actuator rod 32 so that during the time that said pusher is advancing the actuator rod 32, the forked arm of. said lever as advances the nut 3% in the same direction but at a higher speed, so that it not only travels with the actuator rod but gains thereon and takes up all the lost motion between the rear nut flange and the sleeve 35, bringing the two into contact at substantially the moment when the pusher reaches the limit of its pushing movement. The nut is thus given a longer movement or travel than its actuator rod. When the treadle rod is released its upright arm 38 can only move to the right by moving the nut 34, the latter turning retardedly upon its screw until it has returned sufficiently far to lift the latch 65, whichfrees the actuator rod and permits it, together withthe' nut thereon, to slide freely and bodily through the sleeve 35 to their rearmo'st positions, thereby collapsing the toggle practically instantaneously after it hasonce been started. Thus, while the toggle collapse is retarded in starting long enough to catch the last nail, when once it is started, it takes place quickly, "practically instantaneously, thereby accomplishing the substantial results obtained by connecting the horn mechanism with and to be controlled by the starting and stopping mechanism, but without any of the inconveniences due'to coupling the two together. Because the actuator rod 32 had a forward movement beyond that imparted to it by the treadle'arm 38, it follows that said rodmust have a return movement also independently of and beyond that imparted'to itiby the return movement of said 0 treadle arm. vTo this end the said rod, at its upper side and at a point immediately in the rear of its point of connection with the toggle, is connected by a spring 67 with the machine column, and which is sufficient, to insure return of. said rod to its initial position. I

When the toggle has once been straightened and the work put under pressure, it is desirable to provide some means for break ing the toggle for its release, rather than to I rely upon the natural tendency of the toggle to release under pressure. If this were not done it would be impracticable to straighten the toggle to an extent otherwise desirable for the best support of the work. It is likewise desirable, because of the retardation of the horn treadle upon its return, to provide a strong spring therefor, but, such springif required to be extended by depression of the horn treadle by the foot of'the operative would provide, the very re-' sistance thereto which my invention in part seeks to avoid. I have, therefore, connected the rear end of the actuator rod by a link 68 Ibo its

with the upper end of a lever 69, fulcrumed at 70 and connected at its lower end by a stiff spring 71 with the horn treadle arm 38. When the, horn treadle is depressed its movement, until arrested by contact with the forspring tension to pull the actuator rod rearward to break the toggle, to permit of its collapse, and also sufficient tension to return the horn lever to its elevated position when released and to cause the retarded movement of the nut 34 before the actuator rod is finally released to permit complete collapse of the toggle. While the spring tension 71 is put upon the 'horn treadle after said" its ' co-mplished in machines of this type by a treadle has been depressed and the machine, started, and, while said treadle is held depressed, such spring tension does not throw any added effort upon the operative in holding the treadle depressed because the re -I sistance oifered by the retarding screw and j its nut to the return of the treadle offsets; the added spring tension thrown thereon, with the result, that while the spring ten-= sion is much increased, after the treadle is depressed, resistance to the return of the treadle is similarly increased so that the operative, having once depressed the treadle, is required to exert no additional effort to retain it depressed.

When the machine has once been started it feeds the work along automatically in usual manner, following the driving of each fastener, but, if the work were maintained always pressed upward against the work plate under the pressure of the horn spring 21, obviously it would be impossible or at least extremely difficult to feed the work. It is, accordingly, common to provide means for periodically depressing the work support slightly, following the driving of each fastener, to free the work sufficiently to permit it to be fed along into its new position for the driving of the next fastener. Prior to my invention, this has generally been 210- a pawl and ratchet device, located upon the:

side of the machine column.

Where, how I pawl and ratchet whatsoever.

Referring to the drawings, the horn supporting slide rod 20, located within the spring 21, is extended downward through the spring supporting lug 23 and is preferably squared at its lower end or otherwise formed to present ample friction or engaging surface. This squared end of said rod 20 stands between the gripping faces 72, 73 in the, end of a depressing lever 74, fulcrumed at 75. The

rear end of this depressing lever 7 f is jointed to the lower end of a lift rod 78 which (see Fig. 1) extends upwardto the machine head, where it is connected 1n usual manner with ,a cam adapted to lift it at the proper mo-l .ment for feeding, at each rotation of the shaft. In the present instance said lift ,rod'

is provided with roller stud 79 that over-j lies the cam wheel 56 referred to and which is provided with a properlift surface to lift thesaid rod for feeding .at every rotation of' the shaft. In practice, probably a path cam would be preferable to a surface cam but in the present instance thelatter is shown for the purpose ofsimpllc ty and because the particular kind of cam is not material to my invention. When the machine is set inmotion at each rotation of the main shaft, said rod 78 is lifted, thereby to depress the front end of said lever,'to cause its two gripping faces 72, 73 to grip or nip the rod 20, thereby to depress said rod and draw downward with it the toggle and the work support locked thereto, so as to free the work for feed. This depression of the work support causes further compression of the horn spring 21 but, since it is produced by the power of the machine and not by the operative, this added compression is immaterial. When the feed has been completed the lift rod 78 is released and permitted to drop and the lever 74 returns to its original position. Just before reaching such original position, however, the locking engagement between it and the rod 20 is released so as to permit .the said rod and the connected horn .to be arrested in any position, whether that formerly occupied by it or a new position according to the thick ness of the work at the point just fed into position to receive the new fastener. Thus the horn is free at all times to assume any level determined by the thickness of the work supported thereon and is always depressed a predetermined distance below such level for the purpose of feeding. In this respect my invention is superior to the pawl and ratchet because it is capable of engaging the horn support in any position, however slight the variation may be from the preceding position, whereas a pawl and ratchet mechanism is susceptible of engaging at regularly spaced distances only, which are the lengths of the ratchet teeth employed. This capacity of my mechanism for the finest adjustment is advantageous in that it permits of a less depression for feeding, because always certain to produce the required depression, than is possible with a ratchet where the depression must be enough to cover the variations due to the lengths of the ratchet teeth. Further- .more, because the mechanism shown lacks the ratchet teeth and pawl, it may be operated at any desired speed with certainty of engagement and entire absence of destructive pounding or hammer blows. The gripping faces 72, 78 are preferably made oblique so as to clear the rod 20 with greater cez tainty on the return movement. M

It is frequently desired to depress the starting treadle to run the machine for one or more rotations without any work in po sition, as, for example, when it is desired to test the feeding mechanism or to insert a new fastener wire or try out the adjustment or operation of the parts or any of them before actually performing work. If the forked end of the bell crank lever 43 stood close up behind the nut 34 when the machine so started, without any work in position, the

lifting movement of the rod 50 would or .nnght throw the forked end of said lever Fig. l.

forward sufliciently' to push the nut, and with it, the actuator rod, far enough forward to ralse the work support against the work plate.- This would be objectionable be-' to lift the horn appreciably. This makes it necessary, when the horn treadle is depressed for the purpose of lifting the work into position, to provide some means to take up this lost motion, or, of bringing the forked end of said lever up into position close behind said nut, where its subsequent, machine operated throw will give to the nut the necessary forward movement to produce the operation previously described. I have, therefore, mounted the fulcrum of the lever 13 eccentrically in a sleeve bearing 80 (see Fig. 6), freely rotatable in the column and having an arm 81 connected by a link 82 with the treadle lever arm 38. When the horn treadle is depressed to lift the work to the work plate, it will cause the eccentric sleeve to be rotated to throw the lever fulcrum downward, with a result that, since the horizontal arm of said lever is jointed to the lower end of the lift rod 50 and cannot be moved downward at that time the elevated or forked end of the lever is thrown forward, carrying it close up to the rear flan ed end of the nut. During the subsequent operation of the machine, when the said rod is lifted, said lever is further thrown forward to advance the nut as described. lVhen the horn treadle is released the eccentric bearing is returned to its original position and the parts are as'shown in Thus the said forked arm. is efiectire to advance the nut only when the advance is needed, to wit: when work is upon the horn. The nut is maintained nor- .mally in its rearmost position by a light spring 182, interposed between said nut and a collar fast on the actuator rod.

7 My invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof here shown and described as a means of illustration for, obviously, said invention may be variously embodied within the scope of the claims, which are not intended to be limited to the embodiment shown.

Claims:

1. in a machine for operating on boots and shoes, the combination of a work support for engaging and supporting the Work. a power shaft, and power-operated means periodically to depress said work support to permit the work to be fed, said means including a slide bar connected with the work support, a pivotally mounted member having oppositely extending arms one of which has an opening through which said slide bar extends and the wall of saidopening adapted on movement in one direction to engage and carry with it said slide bar and its connected work support and upon movement in an opposite direction to free said slide bar.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a work support for sustaining a shoe against an opposed work contacting part, means for raising the work support to position the shoe, a slide bar connected to the work support, a pivotally mounted arm having jaw portions the walls of which are adapted to frictionally engage and move the slide bar upon movement of said arm in one direction to permit the shoe to be fed and then to free the slide bar to permit the shoe to be clamped between the work support and opposed contacting part, and means for operating said pivotally mounted arm.

3. In a. machine of the character described, the combination of a work support for sustaining ashoe against an opposed work contacting part, a work support sustaining spring, means for raising the work support to position the shoe, a bar or rod connected to the work support by which the work support may be periodically depressed for feeding the work, a movable arm having an opening through which said bar or rod extends, and meansfor causing opposite walls of said opening to directly and frictionally engage said bar or rod and then move it to separate the work support and opposed work contacting part to permit work feed and then release said bar or rod to the impulse of said work supportsustaining spring.

4:. lVork support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member, means to raise the same, and screw and nut retarding means to control the lowering of said work engaging member.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination'of a work support, a spring for sustaining said work support, and raising means therefor comprising an endwise movable screw, a nut thereon, said screw and nut being capable of relative rotation, and means to move one of them endwise and simultaneously therewith as such movement is initiated to restrain relative rotation whereby to, render said screw and nut effective for raising said-work support and placing said sustaining spring under compression.

6. Work support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member and raising means therefor comprising an endwise movable actuator screw,

a revoluble nut thereon, and a sleeve surrounding said nut and adapted upon movement thereon in one direction to lock said nut against rotation and to move it and said screw endwise and, upon movement in an opposite direction, to free said nut for movement of the screw in an opposite direction.

7 Fork support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member and raising means therefor including an actuator screw, a nut rotatable thereon, a sleeve freely rotatable on said nut and having cndwise movement thereon with means when moved in one direction on said nut to lock said sleeve to said nut, and means to hold said screw against endwise movement when said sleeve is moved in one direction only relative to said nut.

8. A device of the character described, comprising in combination a work support, a work supporting spring for sustaining the work support, treadle operated means disposed between the work support and spring to in: art preliminary rising movement to said work support, and independent means thereafter to compress said spring for holding said work support in position.

9. lVork support cont-rolling means, comprising in combination, a work engaging member, a spring sustaining said work en gaging member, treadle operated measuring means to impart preliminary rising movement to said work engaging member, power operated means thereafter to increase the action of said spring, and means for periodically depressing the said work engaging member against the action of said spring for feeding.

10. A device of the character described, comprising in combination a power shaft, a work support, a supporting spring for sustaining the work support, means to lift said Work support, starting means, connections between said power shaft and spring to compress the latter by rotation of said shaft, and means for periodically depressing the work support against the action of said spring for feeding.

11. A device of the character described comprising in combination a work support, a supporting spring for sustaining the weight of said support, work measuring means to lift said work support and a trcadle to operate the same, a power shaft, starting means therefor, connections between said shaft and spring for compressing the latter upon rotation of said shaft, and means for periodically depressing the work support against the action of said spring for feeding.

12. Work support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member, toggle means for lifting it, a work supporting spring opposing said toggle, and

prising in combination a work engaging member, toggle means for lifting it, a- Work supporting spring opposing said toggle, and treadle operated, also power operated, means for actuating said toggle.

14k. in a machine of the character described, the combination of a work support, a driving shaft, starting and stopping mechanism for said driving shaft, means connected to the driving shaft for raising the work support to position the work, means for periodically lowering the work support for feeding, treadle operated means independent of the stopping mechanism for causing final depression of the work support, and means to retard the drop of the support.

15. Work support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member, work measuring lifting means therefor, a treadle to operate said lifting means, and power operated means supplementing said treadle with means for retarding the drop of said work engaging member.

16. Work support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member, its supporting spring, work measuring means, connections set in operation thereby to compress said spring, means to permit free drop of the Work engaging member, and retarding means acting in advance of the free drop to retard the drop of said work engaging member.

17. Work support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member, lifting means therefor, means to permit free drop thereof, and drop retarding means operative in advance of said free drop.

18. Work support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member, treadle and power operated means for raising it and for permitting drop thereof, and means to retard the treadle movement in the direction to drop the work engaging member. I

19. lVork support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member, a lever to raise and to lower the same, and means to retard the action of said lever upon said work engaging member preliminarily to the free drop of the latter.

20. Work support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member, an actuator to lift the same, an operating lever to move said actuator positively in one direction, means to retard the actuator movement in an opposite direction, and means to permit free return of said actuator following the period of retarded action of said operating lever.

' 21. Nork support controlling means coming means for said engaging member, startprising in combination a work engaging member, an actuator to lift the same, a lever to move said actuator in one direction, means to lock said actuator, said locking means being released by return of said lever, and means to retard said return.

22. lVork support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member, work measuring means to lift the same, said means including a toggle, a work supporting spring and a toggle actuator, a

treadle to move said actuator in one direction, starting means and means operated thereby further to move the actuator to compress said spring, and means to retard the treadle movement.

23. Work support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member, a lifting actuator therefor having a screw, a nut thereon, a sleeve engaging said nut and means to operate it, and independent power operated means for additionally moving said actuator and also for moving said nut farther than said actuator.

24:. Work support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member, a lifting actuator therefor having a screw, a nut thereon, a sleeve engaging said nut and means to operate it, independent, power operated means for additionally moving said actuator and also for moving said nut farther than said actuator, and devices to render operative or inoperative said means for moving the nut farther than said actuator.

25. Work support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member, a lifting actuator therefor having a screw, its nut, a treadle operated lever for moving the nut lengthwise the screw, a power shaft and starting means therefor, and connections for moving the said actuator and also said nut from said shaft, the nut farther than the actuator, and means to render said shaft operated nut moving means ineffective except upon prior operation of the treadle.

26. Work support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member, a treadle operated toggle for lifting it, a spring for breaking the toggle and dropping the work engaging member, and power operated means for tensioning said spring. I

27 Work support controlling means comprising in combination a work engaging member, treadle operated means for lifting it, a spring for dropping it, starting means, and means operated by the power of the machine for tensioning said spring for the return of the work engaging member, after the machine has started.

28. Work support controlling means comprising in'combination the work engaging member 3, the nut 6 and screw '7, the toggle connected to said screw and means operated thereby to lock the screw against rotation, the spring 21 sustaining the work engaging member actuator 32, having the screw 33, its nut 34 mounted thereon, sleeve 35 on said nut, and lever 38 for actuating said sleeve and nut. i I

29; WVork support controlling means comprising in combination the workengaging member and its spring and lifting mechanism therefor comprising the actuator 32, having the screw 33, nut 34 engaging said screw, sleeve 35 mounted on said nut, lever 38 for moving said sleeve and nut and latch I 65 for locking said screw in position.

30. Work support controlling means comprising in combinationthe work engaging member and its spring, lifting means including the actuator rod, the nut and screw on said rod, the operating lever 38, and its sleeve presenting a lost motion relative to and for actuating said nut and the latch 65 for engaging and holding the actuator rod.

31. In a machine of the character d'e scribed, the combination of a work support, for :holding the work against an opposed work contacting part, a work supporting spring, a treadle means for raising said operated by the power shaft to supplement the treadle action and place the said spring under compression. I

33. Work support controlling means comprising, in combination, a work engaging member, means for raising the work engaging member, said means including manual and power operated devices, and means for rendering the power operated devices ineii'ectual unless the manually operated devices are actuated.

34. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a work support, a toggle for raising the work support, a work supporting spring opposing the toggle, treadle operated, and also pow er operated means for actuating the toggle, and means for rendering the power operated devices ineffectual for raising the Work support to operative position at the will of the operative.

- 35. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a Work support, a toggle connected thereto, manual means for initially raising the work support through said toggle, power means for 'compieting the movement of the Work support movement of said treadle means to permit the Work support to descend, and means to retard said return movement of the treadle 15 means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MERTON D. PHELAN.

Witnesses SIDNEY F. SMITH, ROBERT H. KAMMLER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. (1. 

